Memoires of a Shinigami King
by Hakumuoh
Summary: The Shinigami King wanted an heir and and this heir can be found hiding in an unexpected place. Runs parallel to Death Note.
1. Prolouge

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any or it's characters or ideas.

* * *

He was an outcast, surrounded by others but unable to speak to them. It had been this way for centuries and he had grown used to it, not even noticing the carefully averted eyes of those around him. Even in the years before his exile, he had wandered, alone in the endless wasteland. When he had finally come upon this place again, no one had recognized him, except for one.

Valeel's crimson eyes scanned the crowd before him. It was odd to see so many Shinigami together at once. His eyes fell upon the Shinigami in the centre of the crowd, their 'King'.Valeel snorted, turning away; so he had actually gotten up to speak with them, no wonder there was a crowd.

He spread his bony wings preparing to fly in the opposite direction. "Val," Came a voice from behind, "wait up."

Valeel turned, shocked to hear a voice directed at him. A very out of place smile graced his face as he locked eyes with the Shinigami approaching him, though it was quickly replaced with his typically blank facade as he remembered what he was.

"Ryuk, what are you doing?" He asked, his own voice sounding odd in his ears.

Ryuk grinned, "The King wants to talk to you."

Valeel's eyes narrowed but he didn't respond as he made his way toward where he had seen the King. Within moments Valeel came upon the Shinigami, still standing amidst the crowd.

The other Shinigami scattered as he approached, though remained close enough to hear.

"Valeel." The king said with blatantly false cheer as he spotted the tall, pale Shinigami.

Coming to a stop Valeel chose not to reply, not feeling the need to voice his thoughts, his blazing red eyes speaking for him.

"Your little show all that time ago got me thinking," The king began, taking a small step toward him, "If I should somehow perish, there would be no-one here to keep ones like you in check. I need an heir."

"And why exactly are you telling me this?" Valeel asked, sarcasm leaking into his tone.

"There isn't a Shinigami here that I see fit to rule. What better way to find the kind of Shinigami I need than to choose from the Human Realm" Valeel snorted at this, turning to leave.

"Valeel, almost as importantly as the human, I need a Shinigami that is able to watch over them and properly guide them."

Valeel paused, "There are hundreds of other Shinigami."

The King shook his head as Valeel turned back to face him, "No, you're the one I need. Besides, if you do this for me, I'll consider allowing you back here."

Valeel's eyes narrowed, "Fine. I'll need my note back and an extra for the human."

The King nodded, smiling triumphantly, "Of course. You will also be exempt from the rules, especially of not aiding him."

A Shinigami that Valeel recognized as Gukku approached the two. As soon as he was close enough, he held out two small notebooks that Valeel took wordlessly.

"The humans name is 'Narukami Touta', he is of the island the humans call 'Japan'. He is three days old today, watch him carefully. This boy, as his name implies, will become a god."

* * *

A/N; I had an author's note, but then I lost it. Moo.


	2. Eos

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Death Note or any or it's characters or ideas. Because this story is parallel to Death Note, certain events are taken from the actual story (although typically from a different perspective). These scenes are marked as "(Volume_, Page_)".

* * *

Tokyo's police department was to some a blessing and to others a curse. It employed a wide range of people, from desk jockeys to the occasional mass murderer. One of the latter found himself sitting in a room full of his coworkers, a spirit like creature that was one of his closest friends behind him. He had changed his name years before, feeling compelled to hide his past despite that it being discovered meant nothing to him. He had even developed a persona, something very opposite to his true self.

Narukami Touta was in fact only a young man from a small town who had reached a point in his career very unusual for one his age. He was serious, rude to some, but loyal and perhaps the perfect kind of man to be the owner of a Death Note for almost his entire life.

The persona that he wore, however, was kind and light hearted to a fault and would have been horrified to know that a god of death stood casually behind him. How Matsuda Touta had managed to reach the point in his career that he had and gain the utmost respect from his superiors was beyond most.

A man that Touta knew as Ide stood at the front of the room, gathering the papers before him on his desk, "Does anyone have anything else to add?" He asked. When no one spoke up, he continued, "Good, in that case, you're all free to go."

With these words, the room began to clear out, the ever present low murmuring building into a steady hum. Touta stood as well, collecting what little papers he had before turning towards the door. The creature that had been standing behind him waited patiently, his crimson eyes lazily cast at the front of the room. He was called a Shinigami to some, a devil to others, but to Touta he seemed a completely normal part of his life.

"Matsuda, wait." Ide called out over the thinning crowd, still standing before his desk.

Matsuda stopped, turning with a nervous smile to face back into the room, "What do you need?" He asked politely, the reply coming as naturally as if it had truly been what he wished to say. Despite Touta's reservations, he had to admit a certain amount of respect for Ide.

"The Chief wants to speak with you in his office." Ide told him, smiling reassuringly –or perhaps condescendingly– at his nervousness.

Touta nodded silently and left the room in a hurry. His friend followed him out, keeping slightly behind him as they walked down the hall to the Chief's room, "I wonder what this is about."

Touta didn't reply past a shrug, stopping as he came upon the door to Chief Yagami Soichiro's office. The only time he let his persona slip was in the presence of his Shinigami, although he often wondered what the reactions would be should he drop it permanently. Brushing the thought aside, he knocked a few times on the door, waiting for a reply.

"Come in." A voice called after a moment.

Matsuda opened the door and stepped into the office, his friend not far behind, "Ide told me to come see you, Sir."

"Yes." Soichiro replied with a nod, putting on the glasses that had sat on the desk before him. The creases in his face made him look as though he was smiling, although Touta wasn't completely sure if he was. "Have a seat."

Matsuda complied, sitting quietly in the wooden chair before the Chief's desk.

"People in the office don't appear to take you seriously. They seem to believe that you aren't an asset to the force because you don't take things as seriously as they do." The Chief paused with a reassuring smile at Matsuda's worried expression, "Not that I personally think this is a bad thing. We all need to be a little more light hearted around here, just try to be more serious Matsuda."

Matsuda nodded with a gulp.

"To get to the point, I've began to rely on your instincts. You seem to have a keen insight as to whether or not you are being lied to. I've also noticed that when you have your mind set on a person, be that innocent or guilty, you are correct more often than not, not to mention your uncanny knack at IDing victims." The Chief paused once again, sliding his chair forward a little and folding his hands on the desk, "Because of this, I would like to promote you to detective." He told him with a smile, "Matsuda Touta, thank you for all of your hard work. You've been remarkably dedicated and talented to become a detective so young."

Matsuda couldn't help but grin at the unexpected surprise, "Thank you so much Chief!" He said excitedly, "I promise won't let you down!"

Chief Yagami laughed, "I know you won't. Just remember to be more serious."

"Right." Matsuda replied with a quick, sharp nod.

Soichiro's smile remained, "Alright, your badge and new ID will be ready tomorrow. Why don't you go home early today?"

"Really? Okay, I'll see you tomorrow Chief." Matsuda replied, standing with a grin plastered to his face. Touta was honestly relieved to be leaving early, actually having something he wanted to do after work.

"Yes I'll see you tomorrow." The Chief replied.

Touta turned to leave, his eyes locking with his all but forgotten friend's for a moment before he walked from the room.

The Shinigami turned, following him out and down the hall, "He forgot to mention that you had a good friend who could go anywhere undetected and is willing to do so simply out of sheer boredom."

Touta rolled his eyes, his façade completely dropped for the moment, "I could have gotten a promotion without you, it's not like this job is _hard_."

"I am not certain Touta; without me, your Death Note would not be here."

Touta shook his head, "_I'm_ not so sure; it wouldn't have been hard for the King to find another Shinigami." He replied. Touta looked up at his friend who had come to walk beside him, "You seem rather cheerful today."

The Shinigami shrugged and became quiet as he walked with Touta down the hall.

Touta turned into a room filled with lockers and stopped in front of one, "We're going to a movie and I have to pick up some things at the convenience store before we go home." He told Valeel as he opened his locker.

Valeel looked confused, "Why? You never go anywhere other than to buy groceries... What movie?" He asked, his voice strangely taking up a slightly accusing tone.

Touta hung up a few things and pulled out his black leather coat, "Aiko no Hana." He replied lightly as he closed his locker. He couldn't help but smirk as he saw the Shinigami's somewhat confused, slightly accusing stare. Slipping on his coat, Touta decided not to explain and walked back into the hallway that traversed much of the station. He came out to the main lobby, saying goodbye to a man at the front desk before leaving. As he pushed open the front doors of the building, Touta glanced back at Valeel, and saw that his stare persisted. "A model that I like is acting in it." He explained with an out of character laugh, although conscious of the cameras trained on the doors.

Valeel stopped dead, any of the confusion in his stare gone, "Which model?" He asked very carefully.

Touta didn't reply, although another smirk grew on his face. He didn't stop to wait for Valeel to follow, instead walking to the parking lot on the side of the building. The Shinigami caught up to him as he neared his car. Touta unlocked the door, Valeel already sitting in the passenger seat by the time he opened it. Touta put his keys into the ignition, feeling the waves of suspicion rolling off the Shinigami beside him as his car roared to life. The car ride, like the walk to the car, was silent.

This silence was broken by Valeel's irritated sigh as he saw the woman on the poster outside the theatre, "Instead of going to all of her movies like a child, why do you not simply invite her here?" Valeel asked.

Touta shot him a glare, "If I do, will you stop acting like a child yourself and behave around her?"

Valeel didn't seem to enjoy that reply, sighing once again as they made their way into the theatre.

---

A few hours later, the pair stepped once again out of Touta's black car. They made their way down the busy street to a row of small stores. Touta walked through the doors of a convenience store, Valeel following silently behind. It was fairly empty and Touta walked to the back. Seeing that they had rearranged a little, his eyes scanned the aisles for the new home of his usual food. He heard a very small gasp from his Shinigami and turned to look at him.

"Touta, look." Valeel said, acting now like the Shinigami he typically was. He held out a bony finger and pointed towards the doors to the street.

Touta instantly knew of what he spoke, his brows drawing together as a boy walked into the store.

A Shinigami could see the name and lifespan of any human whose face could clearly be seen. If the Shinigami so pleased, it could offer this ability to a human in exchange for half of this human's lifespan. Because Valeel was free of all rules and was willing, he had given Touta this gift without taking anything in return. The gift worked on every human, with one exception. If a human was in possession of a Death Note, their lifespan could not be seen.

(Volume 1, Page 37)

The boy who had entered the store was one of these exceptions. Above his oddly anxious, chiefly calm expression, was his name: Yagami Light; Touta's boss' son. Even if his name hadn't been present, Touta would have recognized him from the few times he had been to Soichiro Yagami's home. However, when he had last seen Light, he hadn't been in possession of a Death Note. Touta knew he was very smart, having passed all of his classes with easy perfection. This boy likely could easily be a threat if he chose to be so. Although, having Soichiro as a father had to have instilled him with a very strong sense of justice.

Touta turned away before the boy noticed him in the back of the store, just in case Light had the same gift. He walked down the aisle with his face slightly turned away, stopping as Light turned to face the window.

Light pulled open a magazine from the rack in front of him, although he didn't seem to be reading it.

"Val, do you know whose note he has?" Touta asked, his voice barely audible.

"No. It's very rare for one Death Note to be in the Human Realm, let alone two."

Touta was about to reply when a loud commotion began just outside of the store. He stepped forward towards the main doors for a better look. It looked as if a man on a motorcycle had been hit by a large truck. Unaffected by the scene, Touta glanced coolly at Light.

Light gasped very quietly, visibly unnerved at the sight. He put down the magazine he had been holding and quickly left the store.

"Follow him." Touta ordered Valeel harshly. The clerk at the till looked at him oddly, Touta automatically holding his cell phone up as an explanation with an embarrassed smile. When Touta looked back to the front of the store, Valeel was already gone, Light's new dark shadow.

Valeel followed Light from above, slightly behind. It was odd to him that there was no other Shinigami present. Any Shinigami that would have been willing to give their note to a human would have stayed closely beside them. That is, unless it was the one Shinigami that Valeel knew had two.

A light rain began to fall as the two travelled down the dark streets to Light's destination. The drops passed through Valeel's white body and onto Light. The Shinigami strained to listen as Light began to mutter things to himself, seeming rattled.

Suddenly, Light stopped, resting his hand on the building beside him.

Valeel landed in front of him, staring into his face curiously. He was slightly surprised to see the expression in his eyes. He had seen this look before in a human, one that had had a great plan unveiled to him. This human had been excited but yet hesitant at its prospects. What impressed Valeel was the aura of complete and utter control about Light. This great plan was his to shape and create, and he knew it.

The Shinigami couldn't help but smile; perhaps the boy had the potential that others had lacked.

Light returned his hand to his side, continuing down the sidewalk after a moment.

The good mood Valeel had had most of the day continued. Like he had thought of before, there were few Shinigami with a Death Note to spare for a human. He hadn't lied when he had told Touta he didn't know which Shinigami had come to the Human Realm, it was just very likely to be one in particular. Valeel's suspicions proved true as the two came into sight of Light's home. There was a familiar shadow perched upon it, as if waiting for Light's return.

The figure remained perfectly still as the two neared the house. Light seemed not to notice, walking up the front steps to his front door calmly. He pulled open the door and called to his mother before shutting it quietly behind himself.

As soon as the door clicked closed, the figure on the roof leapt down, landing silently. The Shinigami grinned, "Long time, no see."

Valeel smiled a little in return, "Hello Ryuk." He replied, "Why did you come here?"

Ryuk shrugged, "The Shinigami Realm isn't exactly the most exciting place. Besides, humans are much more interesting."

"I suppose so." Valeel replied, "But whose note does Yagami have? Has Sidoh honestly not realized you stole it?"

The question brought another grin to Ryuk's face, "Nope."

"Even after 30 years?" Valeel sighed, "For a Shinigami, he's not very intellectually inclined."

Ryuk nodded, glancing at the house behind him, "I guess I'll go back to our Realm before making my entrance."

Valeel followed his eyes, watching a shadow moving across a lit up window on the upper floor, "It would be a great favour to Touta and I if you could be sure he does not cause too much trouble while you're here."

Ryuk was about to say something but stopped, simply nodding.

"Thanks Ryuk, I'll be going then." Valeel told him, turning to leave.

"Wait." Ryuk said, pausing before continuing, "Val, Rem's here too, with Amane."

Valeel stood still for a moment before extending his wings, "I know." He replied quietly before taking flight. He sped quickly to Touta's home, attempting to leave thoughts about the reminder behind him.

The Shinigami stopped as he passed through the front door. Directly beside him to his left was a small coat rack that was home to a lonely jacket. Slightly closer, to Valeel's left, was a rounded archway to the living room.

In that room sat Touta facing away, a book in his hands as always. The room was very sparsely furnished. Beside Touta's black leather chair was a side table that was empty save for a white, corded phone. A rarely used television faced the chair towards the hallway. The only piece of decoration in Touta's home was a small painting on the north wall of the room.

Touta turned, hearing Valeel come into the room. "So?" Touta asked.

The Shinigami thought for a moment, coming up with an almost report-like reply that had become standard in this situation, "Yagami appeared to be quite alarmed at the prospect of having killed someone, as was to be expected. However, halfway to his home he seemed to have completely recovered. If he is capable of recuperating to the extent he did in the time he did, I believe we may have something to worry about in the future. If it is threatening to you that Light possesses a Death Note, I would recommend eliminating him now. However, I personally think we should leave him be for the time being, and observe his movements."

"And?"

"And of course he has a Shinigami. His name is Ryuk and we have been friends for quite some time. A time ago, he acquired a Death Note from another Shinigami and this is the one he gave to Light."

Touta nodded, "I suppose it could be worse, I don't think we need to kill Light just yet. Who knows, maybe he'll manage to do this world some good. Is there anything else?"

Valeel shook his head, "No."

Touta's eyes narrowed, as if not believing him. He seemed to let it go, remembering something else, "Alright. Get a piece of Light or Ryuk's note for me so I can see Ryuk." He said.

Valeel nodded, "I will do that next time I see him, though I believe him to be in the Shinigami Realm at the moment."

"I see… So Light is alone for the time being, then. I wonder what a human can manage in a few days."

The Shinigami shrugged, "I suppose we'll see."

"Yes, we'll see."


	3. Notus

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note or any or it's characters or ideas. Because this story is parallel to Death Note, certain events are taken from the actual story (although typically from a different perspective). These scenes are marked as "(Volume_, Page_)".

**Author's note:** Thanks for the reviews! There aren't any excerpts from the manga in this chapter, but I strongly recommend reading it alongside this story when there are.

On another note, Google was a lifesaver for this chapter in regards to the Toa-Kai.

* * *

"Here's your first case as detective, Matsuda." Soichiro said with a smile, handing him a case file, "She was brought in a few days ago, but I think everyone needs a fresh perspective."

Matsuda nodded with a smile and took the folder, "Thank you Chief, I'll try my best!"

Soichiro laughed at his enthusiasm, revealing deep creases in his face, "I know you will. The best place for you to start is the morgue; Ide is waiting for you there."

Matsuda nodded once again and stepped out of Soichiro's office, quickly making his way to the morgue. He opened the case file while he walked, his steps not faltering whatsoever as he saw the familiar face in the photo.

Amakura Tomoko. He had gone to high school with her and neither of them had liked each other much, not that many people had liked Touta. Still, she was one of the more vocal about it.

Touta stopped in front of the doors to the morgue, closing the case file before stepping in.

As Soichiro had told him, Ide stood patiently, just inside.

Ide smiled as the doors swung closed behind Touta, "Hello Matsuda, congratulations on your promotion." He told him, "It isn't typically my job to train Detectives, but I offered. So, I'll be following this case with you."

Matsuda nodded, "Alright, thank you."

Ide nodded as well, motioning for Touta to follow him as he made his way to the back of the morgue. There was a body on a gurney next to several empty ones. Ide pulled back the sheet from the corpse's face to reveal Tomoko. Her mouth was roughly sewn shut; apparently someone had the right idea.

Touta smirked slightly as Ide examined her face. How nice it was to have her around when she was being quiet.

"This is Amakura Tomoko, I hope you've read the case file?" Ide asked, equally as unphased at the horrific attempt to sew her mouth closed.

Touta nodded, looking up from the familiar face to Ide, "Most of it."

"Alright, I'll go over the basics with you anyway. Age: 25, hometown: Kushiro, Hokkaido of Kushiro Prefecture, attended Kushiro High School with no post secondary on record, unmarried and reputedly worked a few... unfavourable jobs in Tokyo's Red Light District. She ultimately died of blunt force trauma to the head and these stitches were received while she was alive."

Valeel snickered behind Touta, "'Unfavourable'. She was a prostitute, how _surprising_."

"Has there been any progress in the case?" Matsuda asked, drawing the sheet back over Tomoko's face.

Ide nodded, "We've interviewed a few of her co-workers and we've ruled out all of our suspects save for one. His name is Yoshida Ouji."

"Great, so why don't we bring him in for questioning?"

"Believe me, if we could we would. Yoshida is a prominent member of the Toa-kai, making him all but untouchable without solid evidence."

"I take it that means he's part of the Yakuza. But I don't think I've heard of the Toa-kai." Touta said, his persona slipping a little because of his actual lack of knowledge.

"Really? Well I guess you haven't been around as long as I have. They were originally founded as the Tosei-kai but were forced to disband in the mid 60's. Anyway, they reformed into a few not so legitimate companies, one of the branches being Toa Yuai Jigyo Kumiai, or Toa-kai."

"If they have a company, they have a business building." Valeel said quietly to Touta. These kinds of cases had been easy for them in the past, as long as they had been able to find the person they were looking for. As it often turned out, even the most malevolent of men turned cowards when faced with a god of death.

Touta nodded a little, understanding Valeel's intent. "So where do we go from here?" He asked Ide.

"Usually we would see if we could find more evidence at the crime scene but we've already done that… several times. The next move would be to revaluate all of our interviewees and their statements, but that doesn't seem to hold anything promising either. Chief's assigned you to a tough case, Matsuda, but it's always good to have a fresh perspective. What do _you_ think we should do next?"

Touta thought for a moment before replying, finally deciding to read the interviews before settling on Valeel's suggestion, "Well, can I take a look at the videos or statements of the interviews?" He asked.

Ide smiled, "Of course you can, sorry it slipped my mind that you hadn't read them yet. Actually, I brought a copy of each of the statements with me." He said, looking through the papers in his hands before pulling out a section.

Taking the papers, Touta couldn't help but feel as though Ide had been testing him.

"Alright, come find me in my office when you're done with those."

Matsuda nodded "Okay." He replied, immediately turning and walking from the room. He made his way quickly to a large room full of his coworkers. Sitting down at his desk, amidst the ocean of desks, ringing phones and stacks of paper, he took a look at the first interview.

Before even finishing the first, Touta sighed, setting the papers down. He already knew more about Tomoko than any of the whores that she worked with. Touta stood, holding back another sigh for his persona's sake. His Shinigami was right; there was only one way to do this. For that, he would need some time alone to direct him. He pushed in his chair and made his way out of the large, desk filled room and into a hallway.

Valeel followed close behind as Touta beelined for the men's washroom. As they entered, Touta's eyes scanned the room quickly and he checked the stalls for life.

Satisfied, Touta turned to face Valeel, "How confident are you that you can find him?"

"Exceptionally." Valeel replied, "Even if he isn't in the business building, I can at the very least find records of where he lives and wait for him there."

Touta nodded, "Alright. Just focus on the usual plan. We want him to turn himself in, not end up on a slab next to Tomoko."

The Shinigami nodded in agreement, turning and leaving without further word. This was something that had become common for them to do. Whether it was planting evidence, or forcing confessions, Touta wasn't one to lose a case. Of course they had to let the odd one slip as to not raise suspicion.

Now outside of the Police Headquarters, Valeel stretched his wings and took off to the sky. Unlike Touta, he knew the location of the Toa-kai's business building.

It took him mere minutes to reach it. He landed on the ground and walked through the main doors to the lobby. As he had hoped, there was a list of office locations on the wall near the elevators. He neared it and scanned it for a moment before finding what he needed. Before leaving the lobby, Valeel took his Death Note out from the small black case that hung on a chain that was wrapped around his bony white wrist and ripped a small piece from it. The Shinigami then put his Death Note back and took off once again for the 8th floor of the building.

He quickly found himself before the door that led to Yoshida's office. Valeel walked through the door, seeing a man sitting behind a large desk. This man's name, as he had expected, was Yoshida Ouji. The man stretched out his arms and turned in his chair towards the large window that was his back wall. Valeel took the opportunity, touching the back of his neck with the piece of paper in his hand. This allowed the man to see him.

"You killed Amakura Tomoko." Valeel said, deciding to test his reaction first.

Yoshida laughed, "That whore didn't know when to shut up. Did you see her mouth? It's a work of art now." He turned to face the intruder, a smile set on his face.

Valeel locked eyes the man, surprised to see no reaction in his face. The Shinigami was a little unsure of what to say next; most men would have at least flinched in his presence.

"What's wrong?" Yoshida asked, his smile now mocking.

"Turn yourself in." Valeel told him, deciding to keep trying. After all, Touta had told him to focus on the standard plan.

Yoshida shook his head, "Sorry, that's impossible." He said, standing "If that's all you're here for, to make me _turn myself in_, I suggest you leave."

It was more than obvious now to Valeel that he would need a new tactic, his crimson eyes flashing as they again met Yoshida's, "Tell me, do you value your family? Your friends?"

---

The only thing Touta could do was wait for Valeel to return. Part of him didn't like the thought of relying on the Shinigami to close the case but, as he reminded himself, this was one of the few situations where he could rely on someone.

"Matsuda, we've received word that three of Amakura's friends from Kushiro were in town visiting her the night she died. One of them came forward and we have her in interview room A." Came Ide's voice from behind, cutting Touta's thoughts short.

Touta froze, his back luckily away from Ide as he hadn't turned to look at him. Friends from Kushiro… he knew exactly the three of whom Ide spoke. And they would know him. He had to answer now; Matsuda would have no reason not to, "That's great, has she given us any leads?" He asked, forcing his typical façade as he turned to look at Ide from his desk.

Ide shook his head, "No, but she told us where the other two women are. We should head down there now."

That couldn't be allowed, even if he went and hid behind Matsuda, he couldn't be sure he could manage it the entire time. "I actually have something I need to finish up here. Can I meet you there?"

"Alright, you have an hour. They're staying at Shoubai Hotel in Akasaka, do you need directions?"

Touta shook his head, "No, I know where that is."

"Good. I'll call you if there are any developments."

Touta nodded as Ide rushed away. He had to do something about this, if he let them see him, no matter his persona, they would recognize him. He hadn't worked hard to protect his identity to let it be destroyed. If only Valeel was back, he would know how Yoshida had responded.

Shoubai hotel was a 30 minute drive, meaning that he only had a half hour to do something about this. If he killed Yoshida, it would have to be in a way that would be discovered quickly and if Yoshida was turning himself in, it would have to be immediately. Even if he turned himself in, there was no saying that the news would reach Ide right away, especially if he was in the middle of an interview and chose not to answer his phone.

So, the only thing to do would be to kill Yoshida and make his death public.

Touta made his way to the men's washroom once again. After checking that he was alone, he pulled his wallet from his pocket. He opened a small fold in the back and pulled out a piece of paper. Checking a second time that the room was empty, Touta uncapped a pen that he had brought with him.

_Yoshida Ouji – Work related accident – Dies in public_

Just as Touta capped the pen and put the paper back in his wallet. He leaned on the wall beside him and opened his wallet, pulling out a picture. It wasn't like him to keep reminders of his past, but this picture had found its way all the same. It was of a blonde boy, a small brunette boy, and two girls with long blonde hair. They were around 15 and were standing in front of a train station. It had been quite a while since Touta had thought about those days, but the mutilated corpse in the basement had been a reminder of his high school years.

Just as Touta slipped the paper back in his wallet, Valeel stepped through the wall and entered the room.

"Touta, Yoshida has agreed to turn himself in." The Shinigami told him.

Touta put his wallet in his pocket, "There's been a change of plans. Nagasaki, Kurosawa and Hanamura from high school are in town so I was forced to kill Yoshida instead."

"Would they still recognize you? You have changed a great deal, not to mention have gained a new personality."

Touta shrugged, "I didn't want to take the chance."

"It's been some time since you killed someone." Valeel said, changing the subject after a few seconds thought.

Touta nodded, looking at himself in the mirror distractedly as he replied, "Yes… not since high school, and even then it wasn't as simple as this instance."

"Not at all." Valeel agreed.

"That was fast." Touta commented, taking his spastically vibrating cell phone out of his pocket. He flipped it open and held it to his ear, "Hello?" "Really?" "No, I haven't left yet." "Alright." Touta closed his phone and looked at Valeel, "Looks like Yoshida was shot on his way out of the building. Lucky break."

---

The rest of Touta's day had been full of paperwork and meetings. When he had finally been allowed home, he was glad to find himself back in his quiet home and able to work out something that he had been trying to plan for years. So, Touta sat, staring thoughtfully at the blank TV before him, the Shinigami behind him following suit.

"What could I do to win over a Shinigami?" Touta asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I have been wondering that as well. She is so very single-minded." Valeel replied, not seeming to fully understand his question.

Touta, in turn, did not seem to fully understand the response, "Yes, exactly. Perhaps I can use that to get their attention for the few moments I need, and then..."

"...she will listen to reason. If I can get hold of her attention for long enough..."

"...then I can convince them to join me and... wait, she?" Touta turned to stare at Valeel, "She?"

Valeel's eyes met Touta's with sudden clarity, "She? Oh... did you say you wanted Shinigami to join you?"

Touta accepted the change of subject with an understanding smirk, "I'll tell you about it later, once I've figured it out. Anyway, how could I get a group of Shinigami's attention?"

Valeel thought for a moment, "I suppose the best way would be to change some aspect of the Shinigami Realm, but that's-"

"No Val, that's perfect. You told me once that when I die, I will become a Shinigami. Would a new Shinigami be enough of a change?"

Valeel shrugged, "It would at the least catch interest. Though I am not sure how many Shinigami would actually come see you." He replied.

Touta nodded thoughtfully, turning back to stare into the TV. The Shinigami behind him turned thoughtful once again as well, and the two were silent for the rest of the night.


	4. Dike

Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to finish this chapter... There are parts of it that still bug me but I decided to cave and upload it. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

It was a warm, bright morning, the perfect morning for Touta to relax in his black leather chair.

"Are you sure you want to stay home? It is too nice day for that." Valeel told him.

Touta shrugged, but didn't respond. As if to further Valeel's point, the phone beside Touta began to ring impatiently.

Touta sighed, grudgingly picking it up, "Hello?" He asked, trying to sound at least a little enthusiastic for his facade's sake. "Oh, really? Are you sure?" "Yes, of course."

At the reply, Touta hung up the phone and stood with a second sigh, "That was the Chief. They're taking me off Tomoko's case and putting me on what they're calling the 'Kira' case. There's an Interpol meeting today about Kira that Soichiro wants me to attend with him." He explained, making his way down the hallway left of the large arc-way from the living room, to his bedroom. He walked past sparse furniture to the closet and opened it.

The Shinigami behind him sighed, but didn't say anything.

Touta seemed to understand what he was thinking, "What? Val, it's not like I force you to come to these things." He told him, taking out a black suit from his closet.

Valeel sighed once again, although he didn't respond.

"You're millennia old, not 7 years, right?" Touta asked, laying the suit on his bed, "I was actually going to get my hair cut today, but I suppose that'll wait."

Valeel simply sighed once again. For the next half hour, the Shinigami followed Touta silently as he got ready and left.

(Volume 1, Page 56)

This brought Touta and Valeel to the large room used for Interpol meetings. The summit had been held in Japan; a lucky break for Touta's schedule despite the fact that the Interpol building was deep in Tokyo's downtown. He didn't want to leave Light unchecked, despite that he would have been able to send Valeel to watch him had he had to leave the country.

Admittedly, this meeting was quite a waste of Touta's time. Even if he wished to say something, his voice would have been drowned out by the clamour of voices arising after the facts of the Kira case had been stated for all. Whether it was justified homicide or really homicide at all, each person had a view that they were prepared to argue, and argue loudly.

"I think we have no choice. This is another one for L." Soichiro said from beside Touta, one of the only calm voices in the clamour.

Touta's brows furrowed. He had never been one to take an interest into the inner workings of Interpol, so he honestly didn't know what Soichiro was referring to. "L…? What's that, chief?" Touta asked in a low voice.

"That's right, this is your first Interpol meeting." Soichiro said, nodding to himself thoughtfully, "Nobody knows L's real name or whereabouts, or even what he looks like but he can solve any case, no matter what it is. I suppose you could call him a sleuth… no- well anyway, nobody knows who he is but he has solved countless unsolved cases so far. You might say he's our trump card… our ace in the hole… something like that…"

Touta nodded thoughtfully at the explanation. As though magically, Soichiro's words had been heard by the crowd and almost immediately, the topic turned to L.

"But they say L only gets involved in cases that interest him. If not, forget it." One man said loudly, his voice cutting though the noise.

"That's right. And anyway, we have no way of contacting him!" Another man piped up in agreement.

Suddenly, all voices ceased save for one. This voice demanded attention and respect, and they came in due. "L is already involved." The voice came from a man who stood before a giant screen at the front of the room. "L has been investigating this case for some days now." Although he was clad in black, his face carefully hidden, all that had heard of him recognized him at once as Watari, L's assistant, a fact revealed to Touta by the vocal outbursts of a few people.

"Silence, please. L will now speak." Watari told them. He walked to a desk at the front of the room and slid a laptop out of his brief case. He opened it and placed it before a small microphone. The screen on the computer was blank except for one desolate "L".

"Good afternoon. This is L." Came a very mechanical sounding voice from the computer, "The case before us is unprecedented in scope and difficulty and is a monstrous crime of mass murder that must be stopped at all costs! In order to solve it, I request the full cooperation of police worldwide with a resolution to that effect passed at the Interpol meeting today."

The clamouring that had filled the room earlier did not return, all seeming to feel the respect that need be given.

Somewhere in the silence, Touta found himself reminded of when he had first transferred to Tokyo. That was where Matsuda Touta had been born, and Narukami Touta forced to become his shadow.

Touta had been sitting at his new desk, quietly going over the file that he had been given. The victim's name had been mislabelled as "Nokogawa Hoshi", although he could see despite her injuries that her name was in fact "Nokogawa Aiko". Truly an unfortunate mistake.

He could remember clearly the voice that had come from behind him, it's familiarity piercing his mind. "Touta?" It had asked.

Touta had turned automatically, freezing at the person who stood before him. It was Hirokazu Ukita; they had been somewhat of friends in high school. Now _that_ was truly an unfortunate mistake. After the effort it had taken him to discard his past, he needed to think of something to protect it and lead Ukita astray.

"Narukami Touta, it is you! How have you been?" Ukita asked, smiling.

"N-no..." Touta replied, still trying to think of what to do. He hadn't ever been one to get into this kind of situation unprepared. Without thinking, a smile was suddenly plastered on his face, and his hand on the back of his head awkwardly. Ignoring the amused grunt that had come from Valeel at his action, Touta had continued, "Sorry, I'm Matsuda Touta. I was just transferred to this station. Nice to meet you." He told him with a laugh.

Ukita stared at him, looking as if he'd just swallowed a bug, "Oh... sorry. Nice to meet you." He smiled, "It's weird though; you look exactly like him."

Matsuda laughed as Ukita turned away. He turned back to his desk, feeling how close that had been. If he hadn't been successful, Ukita would have ended up a name in his black notebook. Still, this felt like a temporary solution, and one that would take effort to keep up. But there would be others, especially in a city as large as Tokyo…

Suddenly, Touta felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, breaking him from his thoughts. He slipped it out of his pocket and opening it, seeing that it was a text message. It was a message from one of his co-workers named Aizawa asking him to meet him outside. Glancing at Soichiro, Touta stood carefully and made his way to the door.

Touta glanced at Valeel slightly, as the Shinigami had not moved to follow him out of the room. With a mental shrug, Touta continued out of the room and found Aizawa on the other side of the doors. Aizawa stood with his typical surly expression, which was somewhat offset by his trimmed, afro-esque hair and thick eyebrows.

"Can you help me with something?" Aizawa practically whispered.

"Sure." Touta replied, making no effort to match his quiet volume.

Aizawa nodded and the two left the lobby like room and went to a hallway nearby.

"What do you need help with?" Touta asked, finding it a little amusing that Aizawa was coming to him for help. He was also slightly curious as to what made Aizawa drive all the way to meet him during midday Tokyo traffic.

"I need help identifying a suspect. We've looked though all of our resources several times and no names are coming up. I know you're good at this so can you take a look at it?"

Matsuda nodded with a smile, "Sure." He replied.

A moment later, Aizawa produced a file from the brief case he had brought with him. He pulled out a picture and handed it to Touta.

It was of a man in a parking lot, looking like he was in a hurry. His head was turned to the camera and above his clearly exposed face, was his name floating nicely. There was, however, no lifespan. This meant that he was already dead. His name was "Takuoh Shibuimaru" and Touta was momentarily tempted just to tell Aizawa his name simply to see his reaction.

"I'm kinda busy lately, but I'll see what I can do." Touta told him instead, looking up from the picture with the smile of a child just handed an ice cream cone.

"Alright. I was also wondering; will you verify my profile of the killer?"

Touta nodded, "Sure. Can I see the case files?"

Aizawa handed the folder he was holding to him and Touta opened it.

Touta had a tendency to forget his persona when he was doing profiling work and as he scanned through the papers quickly, Matsuda was all but lost. He barely remembered to compose his expression before looking back up at Aizawa, "Your profile sounds good, there's just one thing."

"What is it?"

"Well, you believe that the amount stab wounds and how the body was left denote that this is his first kill and that he had a connection to the victim. However, if you consider the controlled manner of each stab, I think that it shows that he is no stranger to killing. I believe that the amount of stab wounds and state of the body when found show that he was not connected to the victim, but that he took pleasure in killing her. He is narcissistic and overconfident, as your profile states and is likely part of a gang."

Aizawa stared at him a moment before speaking, "…thanks Matsuda. I guess I see why Kikuchi wanted me to come get you to verify it…"

Touta almost smirked, catching himself just in time to instead break into a sheepish smile, "Thanks." He said, handing the file back to Aizawa.

"Matsuda! The Chief wanted me to get you, come on." Ide called, his voice cutting through the otherwise quiet hallway.

Touta turned and nodded, making his way over to him apologetically.

Ide turned wordlessly and brought Touta back to the conference room. Touta was surprised to find the room far more tense than when he had left, and he carefully made his way back to his seat.

On a large TV on the left side of the room, there was the image of a man sitting at a desk. "I am Lind L. Talylor, more commonly known as 'L' – the sole person able to mobilize police in every country worldwide." The man on the television said in the voice of someone used to public speaking.

"Huh…" Touta remarked. The man on the screen was in fact named as he said. So, was L really this stupid or did he have something else planned? Soichiro seemed to have noticed Touta's contemplative expression and Touta knew he had to say something. "So this is L… but he's never shown his face before, right? Why…"

"I guess that's how serious he is about this case…" Soichiro replied, his expression turning thoughtful as well.

"L… Interpol has passed a resolution promising you their full cooperation." Watari said, still standing beside the laptop at the front of the room.

"Good. I strongly request the cooperation of the Japanese police in particular." The voice from the laptop said.

"Impressive…" Valeel remarked.

Touta couldn't agree more. He was completely impressed that L had deduced that much already. More than that, L's reply had come while the man on the broadcast, Lind L. Taylor, was still speaking. Whether he knew more than he was letting on, or it was a lucky guess, Touta knew that he wanted to speak with this "L".

The yammering of the crowd began once again, but Soichiro's voice carried itself to the laptop, "But… why Japan?" He asked, shocked.

"Whether this is being carried out by a group or an individual, it's highly probable that they're Japanese. And if not Japanese, that they are in Japan."

"How can… on what evidence…?" Touta asked, honestly wondering how L had figured that much out, although he was careful to appear shocked.

The reply was almost instant, "I'll be able to show you why very soon, in a direct confrontation with the killer. I therefore request that the investigation be headquartered in Japan."

"Is this going to be that 'direct confrontation' he was talking about?" Touta wondered aloud, referring to the man speaking on the television, "What's he planning?"

"Let's watch and find out…" Soichiro replied, his voice filled with worry. The others in the room seemed to echo Soichiro's concern, quieting to near silence.

The man on the television stared fearlessly, "Criminals have been the target of a killing spree which has turned into the biggest mass murder case in history. Monstrous crime must be stopped at all costs. 'Kira' as the perpetrator is commonly known, will be caught. I can guarantee that." He said, his voice resonating with the look in his eyes.

"Kira, I've got a pretty good idea of why you're doing this. But what you are doing…" Taylor paused a moment before continuing, "IS EVIL!"

He waited for a little less than half a minute, which Touta believed only to be for drama, "Police worldwide have launched a coordinated investigation" Taylor began once more, staring through the television as though he was locking eyes with Kira himself. A moment later, Taylor's short connection with Kira was over and face contorted in pain. He clutched at his chest, crying out before slumping onto the desk before him. Two men, evidently waiting on the sidelines, came on to the screen and pulled him away.

Gasps and mumbled conversation filled the room about Touta. No voices broke through, creating a carpet of noise that Touta attempted to ignore in slight irritation. He waited for L to speak, knowing that he hadn't in fact been killed. A moment later, to Touta's triumph, on the television screen appeared a large, capital L.

From the television, came the same mechanical voice that had spoken to them in the Interpol meeting, "I… I don't believe it… this was an experiment to test a hunch I had but I never really thought… Kira… you can actually kill people without direct contact… so… my hunch was right… I couldn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes, but you can… You'd have to, of course. It didn't make sense otherwise…

'Listen to me, Kira. If you just killed Lind L. Talor, the man you saw on your tv, he was a condemned criminal scheduled to die today, at this hour. His arrest and conviction were kept from the media , and were unreported even on the internet. Even you had no way of knowing about him, it seems…

'But I, L, do in fact exist."

Touta smirked slightly. He could all but see Yagami's shocked expression and imagine L's confident smile. Touta himself would never have been stupid enough to fall for L's trick, but this would still certainly make for an entertaining show.

"So, come on! Kill me if you can!" L said, his vigour registering even through his mechanical voice. "What are you waiting for?"

In his enjoyment, Touta had almost forgotten his persona. He mustered a stressed expression, "He's… really upping the stakes here." He said. It didn't sound much like Matsuda's way of talking, but Touta didn't mind, knowing that no one was in the state to notice.

"Is he crazy? He's going to die!" Another voice piped up in the room.

"Come on! Go ahead and kill me." L continued. After a long pause, he continued in a softer voice, "I'm still here, can't do it, Kira? Evidently, you aren't able to kill me."

After what Touta imagined to be a small smirk, L continued, "So there are people you can and can't kill. That's a valuable clue. Now, I'll give you some information in return." The mechanical voice said, somehow managing to convey a tone of arrogance, "Although it was announced that this was being televised globally… Actually, it was broadcast only in the Kanto region around Tokyo. The plan was to broadcast live to other areas in turn, but that's no longer necessary. You are in the Kanto region of Japan, Kira.

'And, although the police have missed this, your first victim was the Shinjuku killer who took eight people hostage in a nursery school. His crime, when compared to those of the notorious murderers who've died of heart attacks, was not very serious. Moreover, this case was only reported in Japan, nowhere else… that was all the information I needed. I knew, Kira, that you were in Japan! And that your first victim was nothing but a guinea pig for testing your powers!

'We broadcast first to Kanto because it has the largest regional population in the country. That you happened to be there was pure luck. I didn't expect this to work so perfectly according to plan but now, I dare say, it may not be long before I send you to die."

Touta turned to look at Soichiro, whose face seemed to reflect the stress of everyone in the room put together, "Wow, this L is pretty amazing…"

Soichiro nodded, stroking his chin with his hand in thought, "Indeed. He's proven that he can kill from afar… and that he's in Japan…"

Seeing that that would be all he would gain from talking to Soichiro, Touta turned his focus once again onto the screen, which was still uttering words in L's synthesized voice.

"Kira, it would interest me greatly to know how you carry out your murders… but that's something I can find out after I catch you!

'Kira… I'm going to find you and dispose of you if it's the last thing I do! I am justice!"

Touta held back a smirk at L's words. Light Yagami no doubt felt those words of himself towards L.

The voice coming from the screen held a short, dramatic pause before continuing, "Till we meet again, Kira." It said. The screen flicked back to normality, and the giant "L" was no more.

With the voice gone, the hush in the room became evident, with several people exchanging nervous glances. Touta chose, instead, to fix his gaze on Watari, who still stood at the front of the room. The television was quickly switched off, which only added to the effect.

Once the silence had become all but unbearable, Touta looked at Soichiro with a somewhat genuine expression of unease, "Chief… what do we do now?" He asked in an attempt to break the silence.

Soichiro's eyes widened slightly, as if the noise had surprised him, "We launch a formal investigation here in Japan, I suppose." He replied in what seemed like an automatic response.

"I'm in agreement." The mechanical voice attributed to L piped up from the laptop still sitting on a desk at the front of the room. Several people jumped in their seats and turned to look at the laptop, as if there were something to see besides a large "L" set on a white background. "I would like you to form a task force as soon as possible" L said.

Soichiro nodded and stood, "Everyone that belongs to the Japanese Police Department, return to the station ASAP for a meeting in the main conference room." He said in an authoritative voice that managed to keep some of its ever present exhausted tone.

A number of people sitting on either side of Soichiro and Touta stood up and quickly shuffled out of the room.

"You are Chief Yagami, correct?" L asked, continuing without allowing time for Soichiro to answer, "Contact me as soon as the task force has been put together."

"Alright." Soichiro said before turning and leaving the room, Touta in tow.

Once back at the Police Station, Touta quickly made his way to the conference room. It was already packed with people, and Soichiro stood at the front of the room, seemingly unaffected by the low murmuring of those around him.

Touta sat in the nearest chair, vaguely wondering how Soichiro had arrived so much earlier than him.

"…the unit focusing on profiling our killer will be led by Kikuchi. I would also like Hanamura, Yoshida, Matsuda, Tadashi, Kaido and Souji to be a part of this group.

'Lastly, the unit specializing on the victims. This group will be led by Ide and include Takahashi, Yamaguchi, Kiriyama, Kawada, Kuze and Kiryu. I have some papers for each group outlining what L would like you to specifically focus on. Each group leader is responsible for these papers as well as being sure their group is working optimally. We will meet back here in a few days. Thank you, you are all dismissed."

(Volume 1, Page 93)

Days later, Touta sat amongst his coworkers, seemingly the only person undeterred by the presence of L at their meeting. They had gathered to discuss what headway had been made in the case.

Tension seemed to be emanating off the people filling the room. Everyone in the room was on guard, stealing glances at the covered man known as Watari and the laptop before him. Touta couldn't help but wonder how a laptop with a single letter as a background could be the cause of so much tension. Surely it was the man on the other side of the screen, but to have your presence this strong whilst sitting somewhere across the city was certainly remarkable. Touta would have to meet this man sometime, if only to see if he truly lived up to his reputation.

Soichiro sighed, looking at the papers before him, "Next, the victims."

"Yes, sir." Ide replied almost instantly, standing up, "We've been able to determine that details regarding all of those believed to be victims, I.E. Criminals who have died of cardiac arrest, were available in Japan." Ide glanced at L's laptop before him before continuing, "As for the time of death, which L was particularly interested in finding out, sixty-eight percent of the victims died on a weekday between four PM and two AM Japan time, with a majority of those between eight PM and midnight. On weekends and national holidays, time off was scattered between eleven AM and about two AM."

"I would have thought him smarter than that…" Valeel commented quietly as Soichiro continued.

"Okay, next. Tip-offs."

Ide sat back down as a quiet but confident man named Mogi stood, "Yes, sir. So far we've received 3,029 phone calls from the public, of which the vast majority wanted to know if the Interpol broadcast the other day was genuine, and/or if L actually exists, but there were 14 callers who claimed to either know Kira, or to have seen him. We got detailed descriptions from these callers, which are given in my report, but I think it's safe to say none of them are credible. We also received 21 calls from people claiming to be Kira. Not wanting to rule out any possibility, however slight, we took statements from each one, and have them on file."

"Hm. So that's all the reports for today… Next, if you've noticed anything, or have a question, go ahead."

There was something that Touta actually wished to bring up, seeing that no one was willing to say it. After taking a moment to muster his best nervous expression, he stood slowly, "Here, sir."

"What is it, Matsuda?" Soichiro asked, ignoring the looks that a few people shot at Matsuda for speaking up.

"This is in no way meant to give credit to Kira… but, well, in the past few days there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of violent crimes committed worldwide, especially in Japan."

Soichiro closed his eyes with a sigh, "Well, I suppose that's only to be expected, considering." He said after a moment, "Anyone else?" After no one spoke up, he continued, "So I guess that's all for today's meeting… L."

The mechanical voice from the laptop took the cue, "Thank you. I feel like we're getting a little closer. Now, I've got another request for you, if you don't mind. This is for the squads in charge of the media and the internet. I'd like you to investigate _how_ the victims were reported in Japanese media. Namely, I want to know if reports included photographs or footage showing the faces of the criminals who later died. Thank you for your help."

At this, Watari closed the laptop and everyone began to gather their papers.

"All right. The two teams scheduled for night shift, get back to work. Everyone else, continue with the investigation or go home and get some sleep, as you wish. Meeting's over."

Touta stood with his few papers and joined the crowd leaving the room. Once he was in the hallways outside, he broke off from the group and headed to his desk.

"Touta, what was your reason for speaking up?" Valeel asked.

Touta didn't reply. Although whether the reason was because of the crowded state of the hallway or that he simply wasn't interested in doing so, Valeel wasn't sure.

Touta stopped at his locker before making his way to his desk. When he got there, he pulled a few folders from the drawers.

"Matsuda." A voice came from behind.

Touta turned, "Yes?"

The man that had come to speak to him was named Kikuchi; the leader of the profiling team, "Did you review the files I gave you?" He asked.

Touta nodded, handing him one of the folders he had just gotten from his desk, "It looked good but I added a few changes." He said as Kikuchi took the folder.

Kikuchi nodded, not seeming care all that much of what Touta had said. He turned and walked away, merging into the somewhat thinner crowd in the hallway. It was odd to Touta how the man could so easily simultaneously rely on someone and disregard them.

Touta sighed a little, disregarding the thought. He went in the opposite direction as the entrance to the hallway and made his way to a second exit that led to the underground parking.

(Volume 1, Page 98)

Pushing open the doors, Touta saw Soichiro standing in the parkade. "Chief, are you heading home?" He asked, walking quickly over to him.

Soichiro looked over at him before replying, "You bet. Pulled another all-nighter yesterday."

"You must be tired, sir."

Soichiro nodded but didn't reply.

Matsuda looked down, obviously having something else to say, "Uh… umm."

Soichiro looked over at him once again, "What is it, Matsuda?"

"When I said 'crimes have been decreasing'… Well, I'm sure it's something everyone's noticed, but maybe I shouldn't have said it?"

"What are you talking about? Facts are facts, and they need to be laid out on the table. All the more so if they're hard to bring up. Of course, it _would_ have been a problem if you'd said 'crimes have been decreasing thanks to Kira, so let's honour him for that.'" Soichiro replied.

"I would _never_ say that, sir. Honour that psychopath…?" Touta replied, managing a sincere voice despite the sarcastic tone that threatened to creep in.

Soichiro laughed, "That's good to hear. Now, it's about time to go home, don't you think?"

Matsuda nodded, "Definitely. Sorry to keep you Chief."

"Not a problem, Matsuda. I'll see you tomorrow." Soichiro replied before walking away.

As soon as he was gone, Touta made his way to his car as well.

A good half hour later Touta sat down in his black leather chair, his Shinigami standing in the archway to the room.

"Touta, why did you apologize to Soichiro back at the station?" Valeel asked. The car ride had been silent, Touta not seeming to want to answer what Valeel had asked him in the station.

Touta didn't look back at Valeel, though his voice was serious, "What I said during the meeting could be considered a little suspicious, although I seriously doubt anyone took it that way. It's almost inevitable Val that someone will notice me talking to the air or that I'll slip up and reveal myself. So, the apology was to be certain that Chief Yagami, at the very least, does not suspect me when that time comes."

"But then, why did you say anything in the first place?"

Touta turned to look at Valeel, "Well, for one because of what I just told you but mostly, it was that no one else would and it needed to be said. Anyway, there could be someone coming at any time that would have connections to my past so I need to be careful and have Matsuda set in stone."

"So you're really going to be a part of this?"

"Of course." Came the all but instant reply.

Valeel's skeletal face turned thoughtful, "What if L discovers you instead of Light?"

Touta shrugged, "Then worst case I die and become a Shinigami. I don't have much at stake here, Val." He replied, turning back to face the television. A moment later, he continued in a more thoughtful tone, "I suppose… that's not very true, is it?"

Valeel was surprised at the sudden turn of the conversation. It wasn't often that Touta showed this side, even to Valeel. The fact that he was, however, led Valeel to understand precisely what was behind his words. Despite his disapproval of the motive, Valeel was compelled to continue the conversation.

He made his way to stand beside Touta, looking down at him, "What do you plan on doing about it?"

Touta looked up at him, any of his former emotion not present in his face, "L needs to know more about me. Although Light has a good sense of foresight, he is cocky and rash whereas I am methodical and thorough. If L knows the difference between us, I know that he won't think I'm guilty of being Kira."

Valeel nodded, acting as though he understood, "I suppose I see the logic in that… but how is he going to learn this about you? 'Methodical and thorough' aren't exactly virtues that your persona possesses."

"Easy." Touta replied, "I'll just have to break character."


End file.
